Summer 2009 colours will be warmer and lighter

Stahl's Colour Forecast for the Summer 2009 season shows a playful palette of warmer and lighter colour groups from which beautiful and thoughtful combinations create a perfect balance. Although more precious, refined and thoughtful, Stahl says, 'Have fun!' and don't take fashion too seriously while playing with colours and material contrasts. The meanings of 'Techno' and 'Futuristic' have changed, giving a new approach to nature and the environment. Techno takes over a new raw vegetal look. 'Futuristic' takes lightness and softness to a much higher level. Together they humanise technology with humble and familiar materials producing a crafted and natural look. The six colour groups featured are the refined neutrals of Plus Class, the radiant pastels of Evolving Shapes, the quiet world and moonlit shadow of Magnificent Rural, the spicy old damask shades of Grand Bazaar, the muted pastel colours of dried flowers in Bohemian Reverie and finally the sparkling lively scene of Sungliders. Plus Class is a celebration of the modern classic style enriched by a 40s heritage with silky surfaces and fluid ladylike shapes. Refined neutral colours range from vanilla cream through pale browns and greys to slightly deeper shades of rose and chocolate. Placed together they create a perfect balance. Evolving Shapes use contemporary design expressions of skyscrapers and modish advanced arts to develop a perfect synthesis between highly functional and modern personality for a look of super elegance with a strong creative value. The results are subtle rubbery surfaces with a look of vivid lustrous plasticity and a gamut of added value shapes that are truly original and exhibit charming and mysterious differences between day and night. Colours are more radiant ranging from the sensual vanilla, penguin grey and powder blue pastels to vivid Chinese red and the deep brown of peat. Magnificent Rural is inspired by the harmony and strictness of the orient. Shapes are designated by non-stop space defined by soft lines, strong shapes and free movement. Surfaces are solid yet create a mood of naivety and sensual natural. There is an opportunity for a return to the dimensional quality and textures of leather. The whole atmosphere is created by shadowy dark moonlit colours drawn from clay, trees and straw to play a game of dark and light. Beige and grey underscore a taste for natural clarity, quietness and sobriety. Grand Bazaar moves round the world to the Middle East with the bustle of its bazaars, quaint streets and tiled mosques. This is a dreamland of sparkling oriental treasure. Spices lead to a world of colour that is deep and warm though slightly bleached as if by the sun with the vivid mid-eastern tones that fire the imagination. Shapes are inspired by the harem with opposites attracting and leading to a sumptuous atmosphere of luxury enhanced by damask taffeta, metallic glows and solid silk surfaces reflecting the opulent splendour of the sultan's palace. Moving to Eastern Europe brings in the world of Bohemian Reverie with its romantic looked derived from a mix of country and casual, rustic and precious, and large and small flower graphics. Bohemia is a world of decorations that are extended and exaggerated to maximise the effect of wide shapes. Surfaces are rich and dry nubuck with a romantic washed-out touch. The pastel colours are a muted palette of dry flowers with greys and pinks enlivened by light celeste and beige. Sungliders is the final group, a world of sparkling, vivid, eye-catching fiction brights, glazed performance surfaces and techno vigour shapes. The future is explored from the credible to the incredible, calling on the myths and legends of science fiction. Sport is launched here with an unlimited view of the universe, space technologies and alien organisms forming the background for shapes, colour and textures. Colours across the spectrum are truly brilliant, truly bright. Summer 2009 is a true picture of the interaction of colours from neutrals and pastels through to the brightest shades. The interplay between them provides a fascinating interchange between night and day. The inspiration is thoughtful and beautiful.